Love Me (Like I'm Not Made of Stone)
by coldqueen
Summary: Events didn't turn out as expected, and the ripple effect cascades over all things. This is what happens when the line of Durin survives the battle, and the line of Girion falls. Chapter Three: Kili and Tauriel
1. Battle of the Four Armies

**Title:** Love Me (Like I'm Not Made of Stone)

 **Genre:** Movies

 **Series:** The Hobbit

 **Characters:** Fili, Sigrid, Kili, Tauriel, Thorin, Fem!Bilbo

 **Spoilers:** N/A

 **Rating:** PG-13 to R (Mature)

 **Summary:** Events didn't turn out as expected, and the ripple effect cascades over all things.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

 **Author's Note:** Manic marathon of all six movies results in authoress becoming obsessed with Hobbit fanfiction. Please note that in my stories, fem!Bilbo is played by Carey Mulligan. (Think Suffragette/Far From The Madding Crowd.) These will be all in the same universe, not always chronological and not always focusing on the same people. Some couples will happen quickly, some will not. Some will be hinted at but won't come to fruition. This is what happens when the line of Durin survives the battle, and the line of Girion falls.

* * *

 **Battle of the Four Armies**

* * *

The shores of the lake were covered in debris and bleeding people and she knew somewhere in her head that there must be ear-splitting cacophony surrounding her, but she couldn't hear any of it. In her mind, Sigrid was still back in that boat, cradling her sister and watching the wooden tower fall, taking her father and brother with it. She wasn't sad, not yet, it was still shock that made her blind and deaf to the suffering of her neighbors and friends around her.

"Sigrid?"

Tilda held tightly to her arm, her face pressed into Sigrid's ribs as if by not seeing it, it wasn't real. She was too young for this, she had no memories of grief so strong and all encompassing that every bone in your body shook from the force of it. Sigrid knew it, though; she remembered the passing of her mother and how not even the daylight could break the darkness. Her father doing his duty for his children by day, drowning in drink at night, and she was left the pick up the pieces, always left to pick up the pieces.

"Sigrid?"

Her hands were shaking, the knuckles scraped and bleeding, a headache pulsing in her temple. She closed her eyes and willed the blur of tears from her eyes. A small sniffle escaped her but when she opened her eyes again, she could see once more. "We need to help the wounded," she announced, turning her head to talk to the group beside her. "Do any of you know how to heal?"

* * *

She worked side by side with the elf, moving from person to person, never able to give more than a small comforting smile that was tinged with sadness. He knew nothing of healing, but he followed her from place to place, helping to move the injured and fetching things as she requested. Tilda eventually shifted from her sister's side to his own, even climbing up onto his back so that she wasn't underfoot.

"Tilda, get down. I'm sure Fili doesn't want you-"

"She's fine," he insisted, patting Sigrid's shoulder awkwardly as he handed her the blankets he'd just torn from Alfrid's hands, glaring at the cretin until he'd run away. "Kili was much the same when he was her age."

"Oh! I need to go check on him," Sigrid said with a blush, passing the blankets to one of the other townspeople and rushing out of the tent.

"Tauriel has checked on him several times, she says he is healing quickly and fine," Fili reassured her, reaching out to grasp her arm before she could rush off somewhere else. "Come, you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Well, I am and Tilda is, so we're eating," he explained, unconsciously sliding his larger hand down her slim arm until he could grasp her hand. He remembered doing so in Laketown, taking her hand and helping her into the boat as they tried to flee. He also remembered the horror in her silence as they watched the town burn and take so many people with it.

Tilda tugged at his beard as she adjusted her hold on his shoulders, pressing her face into his hair and holding him tighter as they moved through the crowds. There was a small area designated for meals, people trying to pull together enough supplies to feed what remained of the town. Fili pulled her through the line and then to the outskirts, sitting with her in the brittle grass to eat what was generously described as porridge.

Sigrid ate mindlessly, staring vacantly at the crowds, startling when Tilda slid into her lap to eat her own porridge, which she did so with more energy.

"I don't know what to do, Fili," she whispered, so quiet that Tilda didn't hear but he did. "There is no family anywhere else, we've always been here. This is our home. This was our home."

"You're not alone. We're here."

She smiled bitterly. "For how long? Oin has already mentioned going up the mountain to rejoin your company when Kili is better able to move. I have to think of Tilda, and where we're going to go, what we're going to do. The nights are already growing colder and the closest town is all the way down in East Bight. That's a week's walk, through the woods, through the cold, and we've no supplies."

"You're welc-"

"No," Sigrid interrupted, glaring at him with a bit of the fire she'd shown in Laketown, before everything had changed. "I am a child of man and I would not be welcome in the mountain. Don't even say it."

* * *

The fires were burning down, but Fili moved from one to the next, laying more wood down to keep them going through the night. It almost feels like penance, forgoing his sleep to try and keep these few people warm and alive through the night. Guilt was a knot in his chest that he couldn't ease.

He circled back around to improvised tent where his kin slept, pausing in the shadows when he noticed that Sigrid stood outside speaking with one of the townsmen. It was so late and quiet that their words carried clearly to him.

"...we'll leave in two days, before the winter cold really sets in. We have gathered what we can for supplies, food and clothing, blankets. Have you thought of my offer? I would take good care of you and your sister, you need only give me the chance."

Sigrid clenched her hands, a sure sign that she was uncomfortable. "My father denied you for a reason, Sam. He did not believe us a good match. I would honor his wisdom even in death."

"Without protection, Sigrid, many things can happen to a woman. Not all men are as kind as I am, some would not give you a choice," the man explained. Fili felt his anger begin to churn, easily rising and overwhelming the guilt that was his ever present companion.

"I am aware of what men are capable of, you need not remind me," she swore back, her own anger snarling her lips. "I will take care of Tilda and myself, I need no protection."

Fili stepped into the light of the fire, scuffing his feet on the ground to warn her that he approached. He hoped that his own feelings on the matter were not clear on his face. "Is there a problem?"

"No, Fili," she reassured, "Sam was just leaving."

* * *

The dwarves moved quickly, packing their few things into a boat they'd scavenged from the ruins of Laketown. Sigrid knew they planned to follow the river as far up the hills as they could before they'd start their hike for the doors of Erebor. Kili stood to the side, speaking earnestly with the wood elf, his heart on his sleeve, but Sigrid knew it would do no good. Tauriel's sense of duty was as strong as her own, to the detriment of their hearts.

Tilda held her hand lightly, staring down at the two bags that contained all they had in this world and not at her dwarvish friends who were preparing to leave. She knew her baby sister was crying, feeling alone but she wasn't sure how to fix it when she herself felt more alone with each passing minute. They too would have to start their journey soon, East Bight was waiting. Sigrid's feet hurt just imagining the long walk down there, and there was a fear that made her fingers tremble as she could only hope there would be work for a mediocre seamstress when they arrived. She could perhaps serve in a bar, but worst case scenario, maybe she _would_ have to marry to prov-

Fili picked her up and threw her over his shoulder without warning, stomping down towards the boat without so much as a word to her. "Tilda, get in the boat," he ordered, tossing the girls' bags in the hull where their own dwarven bags sat. The girl obeyed with an excited squeal, talking animatedly with Oin about the abandoned city they were traveling to.

"Put me down this instant, Fili Durinson!" They were making a spectacle of themselves, the few townspeople that had not already started to leave glancing back with concern. "You cannot do this!"

"I can and am. Your father gave his life to kill the dragon. The line of Durin owes a life debt to you and we will repay it. You will be safe in the mountain," Fili explained, his hand resting indecently high on her leg as he used his immense leg strength to push the boat off short and into the water. "Kili! We're leaving!"

His brother joined them with a heavy pout, cocking his head at her from where she rested indignantly on Fili's shoulder. "I didn't know we were stealing young women. Here I was trying charm when I should've tried force," he remarked sardonically, glancing back at the departing elves' backs as they disappeared into the forest and took his heart with them.

"I'm not stealing-"

"This is kidnapping-"

"I know what men are capable of-"

"Fili, you put me down right-"

"Their cruelty, their hunger-"

"You are not my father! You cannot decide for me!"

He dropped her to the boat, the vessel bouncing back and forth and swaying as they slowly drifted further from shore. "I am Prince of the Mountain, and depending on what we find, I might be King of the Mountain when we get up there. I say you are welcome there, I say you are coming. To let you leave with men who threaten you in the night with-" he paused, glancing down at her sister before reining his temper back in. "Men who threaten you would bring dishonor to my line."

Sigrid swallowed heavily, reaching up to cup his cheeks in her shaking hands. "Nothing will happen, he wasn't threatening, he was warning me. Not all men are like that."

"But enough are that you are not safe. You're coming."

* * *

Thorin welcomed them with manic energy, even going so far as to take Sigrid's hand and give condolence for her father and brother's deaths, but there was an edge in his eyes that she didn't like. She slipped behind Fili, pulling Tilda with her and fisted her hand in the back of his jerkin. She recognized danger when she saw it, knew when greed clouded common sense. She could sense the unease in the dwarves as they unconsciously sensed the same thing.

"We begin our search for the arkenstone now that we're all here. I must have it," Thorin avowed, gesturing back into the dark of the tomb like entrance hall. "I can feel it, how close it is to me."

Fili tensed under her hand, and she leaned forward to whisper in Fili's ear, only having to lean down a scant inch or two to get close. "What is the arkenstone?"

Not quiet enough however, as Thorin's eyes shot over to her and darkened with malice. "It is the heart of the mountain. It is mine."

Fili held his hands up in surrender, stepping back and pushing Sigrid and Tilda even further behind him. "I will find quarters for the women. They will not join us in our search."

"That would be best," Thorin agreed, his eyes following the movements of the trio. Balin stepped forward, whispering to his liege and distracting him as the three of them stepped out of sight.

"What's wrong with him?" Tilda asked. "He was cranky before, but now he's just mean."

Fili sighed. "I'm not sure, but I'll find out." They followed him through the dark halls, slowly climbing higher and higher into the mountain. "I'm looking for the royal quarters, but I've never actually been here so I'm not completely certain where they are. My mum described this place in detail though, so I think I know."

The stone under their feet became coated in marble, smooth but dusty under their shoes. Fili guided them down several more halls before stopping and peaking in a room. "This one will work. As heir to the throne, I can choose which chambers I'd like."

It was dark inside, the only light coming in from a long sliver of an opening in the far wall. Sigrid dropped their things inside the door and moved closer, realizing that it was a balcony of sorts, rock forming a roof and the railing, and the opening a window cut out of the mountain to overlook the valley below. They were very, very high up, the old structures of her home just a distant blemish on the lake below.

A loud crash within the room behind her make her jump, and she spun around to find Fili smashing furniture. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to start a fire for you before I head back down. I think it best you stay here in the meantime, I don't trust how my uncle is looking. The plumbing should be working, though, if you want to clean things up a bit," he explained, tossing bits of the chair into the fireplace and pulling out some flint.

"What's plumbing?"

Fili grinned. "I'll show you, I think you're going to like it."

* * *

Fili sighed heavily, tossing his head left and right to crack the tension from it. He tossed the exquisitely crafted golden chalice back onto the pile and stood, observing his kin as they too searched through the seemingly endless piles of gold in search of the Arkenstone. "I'm done." He spoke louder, so his voice carried. "This...this just feels useless."

His kin nodded and watched him go, but didn't say anything in return, only turned back to sifting. As heir he had more leeway than they did, but he knew they too felt this was going to be fruitless. There was simply too much to search and more important matters that needed to be attended to.

Thorin stood at the door, speaking quietly to their hobbit burglar who looked to be pleading with him. Her hands gestured to the treasury, the curls of her hair bouncing as her words echoed. "Where are your senses, Thorin? It's like a needle in a haystack, you'll never find it."

"Without it, I cannot rule. It shows my divine right to be King under the Mountain," Thorin argued back. "I will have it before we do anything else."

"Your kin need to eat, need rest. We are living in a tomb, with only death and gold and you're blinded by it," Bella swore back at him. "How do you expect to last through winter if you don't start preparing!"

"We will prepare when-"

"When you have the Arkenstone, I heard you. Sometimes I wonder if you can hear yourself, though," she cut in. "I'm going to help Bombur clean the kitchens. Give me one of the dwarves to help hunt, please. So that we at least have dinner tonight, even if we have nothing for a month from now."

"I have already split them up, some at the gate repairing and some looking here. I have none to spare," Thorin replied coldly.

"I will assist you, Bella," Fili offered, sliding down the dune of coins to stop just beside them. "I need a break from this place, and I think Sigrid and Tilda wouldn't mind a walk."

Thorin protested, "I need you here."

"And I need a break, I will return shortly, uncle, don't fear," he offered, trying to sound cajoling when his every instinct was telling him to leave this place. "Come, Bella, show me where you think I'll be able to trap something."

* * *

"It wasn't supposed to be like this."

Sigrid watched her sister run among the tall grass of the hill, singing a song to herself that Sigrid knew she'd made up on the spot. It was nice to see Tilda so free, able to shake off the gloom of the mountain and the grief of losing their family and home so easily. It made it more palatable for her to push down her own sadness and try to live. "Like what?"

Fili sighed, sitting down beside her under the tree. "Miserable, cold, oppressive. My mother spoke of Erebor like the mountain was alive, the way the gems sparkled in firelight, the energy in the air, the camaraderie of being surrounded by your people with no hardship to speak of, just hard work and good fun. But Thorin...I believe him sick with madness, the mountain holds no comfort, and I worry for the winter to come."

Sigrid leaned over, bumping her shoulder against his. "I have been gathering food while you all worked. Tilda and I, we come out here and gather vegetables, packing them away in one of the cupboards. There's a fruit orchard over the hill, likely abandoned by the elves. It won't last long, but I'm trying to figure out a way to cultivate a garden inside. Our best option is the grow new food, since anything we gather won't last long enough to survive winter."

Fili smiled at her and Sigrid pretended it didn't affect her as much as it did. "You're very smart. You didn't have to do that."

"I did. You've all been very kind, to take us in. I want to...help any way I can." She paused before continuing, "What are you going to do about Thorin? You saw Laketown, a broken leader will drag everyone down with him."

"Bella has been trying to break through to him, if anyone has a chance it will be her. He views the rest of us as...threats. Especially me since I am his heir. I have seen him reach for his dagger without realizing when I come near."

Sigrid reached over and grasped his arm, "Are you in danger? We could leave. There is still time to make it down to Bight before the first snow."

"I will not abandon my uncle when he is ill," Fili denied, but still reached up and covered her hand with his. "It may be that we will all have to leave, though. It feels...like the mountain itself is riddled with disease and it's slowly infecting us all. Maybe the dragon left more than just his stench behind, maybe he left his evilness too."

Sigrid nodded, scooting closer so that she could lay her head upon his shoulder. She couldn't name the exact point in time when she'd become so comfortable with him, with the casual touching the dwarves were fond of, but she didn't mind having him so close. It was nice to have a friend to rely on during these turbulent times.

Tilda stopped spinning in the field, cocking her head as she studied something in the distance. "Look, Sig! Elves are coming!"

* * *

Fili stood alone in a room just off the main hall, gathering armor to wear. The echoing noises of banging at the door drift down to him but he ignores it in favor of speaking quietly to her. "Remember the passage I showed you yesterday, if the wall is breached take it and run. Don't head south to East Bight, you'll run right into the Dain's army. Head west to the forest, the elves will take you in at least long enough to get you to the other side of Mirkwood. Their army is here, so they will not want to fight or jail you."

He struggled with the chest armor, unable to reach to the back to latch it on, so Sigrid stepped over and did it for him. Even through the heavy metal, she could feel him shaking. "And from there?"

"Head for the Shire. It will take you a long time to get there, months even, but I assume after Bella gave the Arkenstone to Gandalf that she went home. She liked you, she'll help you. It's not a bad place to live, very green, lots of farmland. It's peaceful there."

Sigrid picked up a heavy gauntlet, turning him so that she could place it on his wrist. "I will wait here for you, until I can no longer wait." She picked up the other gauntlet, repeating the process. "I promise, but I want a promise from you, too."

Fili waited until she'd finished tying the laces, tucking them inside where they wouldn't get caught on his blades. "What promise?"

"Survive, Fili. I want you to survive," Sigrid ordered. "You owe me a life debt, I expect you to be around to fulfill it."

"Aye," he agreed, and they stood entirely too close to one another for several seconds. Her hair had fallen down in her rush to main hall, blonde strands sliding over her shoulders. He'd never seen her hair down like that, it made her look...undone. Younger than she seemed, and soft in a way that her strength often belied. He reached for a sheath on the wall, gripping her waist and turning her from him before looping the belt around her hips twice, the dagger weighing heavily against her side. "Just in case."

He allowed himself five seconds of touching her, her waist soft but firm under his large fingers, her hair smelling of violets as it floated in front of his face, before he turned and joined the fight.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Fili felt hope again. Thorin had broken through the dragon's sickness, reavowed his dedication to his people, and they'd headed into battle. Despite their smaller numbers they'd pushed back the orcs and the wargs, pulled the elves out of Dale and into the fight, and even now they chased the pale Orc on Ravenhill. Dain and his kin were at their backs and Thorin at their head, as their rightful King, Arkenstone or not, everyone could see that.

Fili slipped down the hall, Kili at his back. They can hear Azog ahead and Kili gestured that they should separate but Fili wasn't sure. There was a chance they could corner the orc leader, but they were always stronger together than apart and with so few of them here and so many of the orcs around he just didn't know what to do.

He thought of Sigrid and Tilda back at the mountain, standing on the balcony and watching the fight below. He knew Sigrid would have packed their things, ready to leave at a moment's notice. Her strength seemed to know no end, her spirit indomitable in the face of loss. She would survive without him, he knew, he'd never doubted. That didn't mean she should have to.

Fili grabbed Kili's arm and pulled him back, not a second too soon as a group of orcs ran past. "We stay together. There is too much at stake."

* * *

Sigrid knew the battle was over when the night grew quiet. Not silent, but quiet, where the only sounds were the pitiful moaning of injured left on the field by their compatriots. Elves made quick work of orc and warg survivors with their silver blades, the small flash of moonlight on the sword as it sliced down the only sign of life on the field.

Tilda had fallen asleep hours ago, curled up on the bed, hands over her ears, crying silently. Sigrid had been unable to offer comfort because she had none to give, at least not then. The battle had stopped now, the mountain remained unbreached, and the only question that remained was... who was left?

Sigrid stood at the window of their quarters and watched the slow procession of dwarves into the keep. She knew it was them only by the torches in their hands and their short stature, and the fact that they came in so brazenly. The elves kept their distance from the doors, even after joining forces in the battle, she imagined them afraid that a wrong move would set off another fight.

The door opened behind her, the rush of cooler air from the window blowing past her and towards the new opening and dissipating in the hall outside. She turned to the intruder, smiling as she saw who it was. "I did not expect to see you again."

Tauriel smiled back, "I did not expect to be here. Fili has asked me to retrieve you, they have need of you downstairs. There are many injured."

"Is he..." Sigrid trailed off, walking quickly to her bag and pulling out what little medical supplies she had. "How bad are they?"

"Thorin is the worst, but I believe he'll live. Kili and Fili have a few injuries, but nothing a few months won't heal," Tauriel explained. "I will leave one of my kin here for Tilda, but there is much to do this night."

"It will take longer than a night to heal from this," Sigrid pointed out, "best we get started now."

* * *

Next chapter: Thorin.


	2. Erebor Rising

**Title:** Love Me (Like I'm Not Made of Stone)

 **Genre:** Movies

 **Series:** The Hobbit

 **Characters:** Fili, Sigrid, Kili, Tauriel, Thorin, Fem!Bilbo

 **Spoilers:** N/A

 **Rating:** PG-13 to R (Mature)

 **Summary:** Events didn't turn out as expected, and the ripple effect cascades over all things.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

* * *

Erebor Rising

* * *

The first thing he remembered was feeling cold. Despite all appearances to the contrary, Erebor was actually quite warm. Between the furnaces and the natural hot springs deep in the mountain, rarely was winter a concern for dwarves. At least, decades ago it hadn't been. Wandering dwarves, no shelter and no money, they faced the cold and found it unflinching and unrelenting.

The first winter outside of Erebor killed more dwarf children than even Smaug had been able to.

There was ice under his back, biting through the leather of his clothing, freezing the blood that leaked out of him but not fast enough to save him. It was appropriate, he supposed, that death was cold. Dwarves lived their lives around the flame, using it, worshiping it, sacrificing to keep it going. They did not burn easily...

"Thorin?"

...but this was different. He could feel himself turning to stone. They would bury him in the mountain, with his slain kin, amongst the ashes of his forefathers and wouldn't that be grand to be buried in the same place he'd been born? To finally be home, permanently.

"Thorin? You're not dying, I won't allow it. If you would help me, I could get us down to help, otherwise I swear by the Valar, I will sew you up myself. I didn't come this far for your nephew to be King under the Mountain. I faced a damn dragon for you, you know."

Thorin stared into the cloudless sky, blinking slowly. "Bella?"

She leaned over, her unbound hair tangled and covered in blood and dust and dragging across his face. "You're extremely heavy, Thorin. Why must dwarves be so oversized?"

"I am dying," he replied, touching his chest and showing her the blood oozing from a particularly deep wound between his ribs.

"Not if I can help it, and I can," she retorted. She turned her head sharply, narrowing her eyes at whomever she saw. "Dwalin, come carry him! He's bleeding and we need a healer! Oh! Is that an elf!? Tauriel! Thank Eru, we need you, please!"

Then they were all there around him, and that was appropriate too. His kin and his friends to keep him company as he faded.

The she-elf leaned over, looking the worse for wear as they all did, scrapes and dirt smudging her angular features, but she spoke with a calm soothing tone. "I will help you, King Thorin, but this is going to hurt."

He felt hands holding him down, pressing him harder into the cold beneath him that had seeped all the way into his bones.

Then a sharp searing burn began in his chest and spread outward, taking all sense of self and place with it.

* * *

The next thing he remembered was the smell of home. He didn't open his eyes, he didn't even know if he was capable yet, but it felt like he was in the mountain. There was a musky scent of disuse in the air, but underneath it was the sharp tang of copper, the moist thickness of dew, and the cool whisper of stone. Gold was spicy and fizzing in the back of his throat, audacious and overdone and surrounding him.

He was home.

He forced his eyes to open, blinking rapidly but thankful that someone had had the good sense to leave the light low. Bella and Gandalf sat across the room, speaking low and sipping tea, neither noticing that he'd woken. "You'd think a hobbit would have the good sense to offer a guest something to drink."

She jumped up so quickly that Gandalf had to brace himself on the wall so he didn't fall. "Technically, I am the guest," she defended, "but since you're incapacitated I guess I'll play hostess. Oh, I'm so glad you're awake!" She dashed over, bringing a cup of water with her. She assisted him with sipping, grinning at him widely. "Told you you weren't going to die."

"It felt like a possibility," Thorin answered, waving off her wordless offer of more. "What's going on? What happened?"

"After you dispatched Azog, the Orc army fell apart, scattering under the forces of Dain and Thranduil," Gandalf started to explain, "though not without heavy costs to all."

"My nephews?"

"Alive, injured but alive. They dispatched Bolg, saved Tauriel's life, who in turn saved yours. Fili has a broken arm, Kili some bruises on his side but the elves don't seem to think they'll cause him more than some pain."

"Elves in Erebor?" Thorin scoffed, grimacing when it caused a stab of pain in his side.

"They were invited," Bella supplied, grinning at him, "your cousin Dain appears to be more reasonable than you. I'm going to gather your kin. They'll want to see you."

Thorin waited until the hobbit was gone before speaking again. "How many dead?"

"Too many to count, but it was...a victory."

"It doesn't feel like one."

The old wizard sighed. "They rarely do."

* * *

He remembers home...but this is not it.

The tall columns used to seem majestic but now only seemed to emphasize emptiness. The ringing of hammers were not echoing to the rafters, firelight did not cause shadows to dance on the ceiling, and there was no music or laughter to speak of, not here, not after war.

Thorin had hope that they could reclaim that sense of life, however. He walked among fallen elves and dwarves and knew that this was a new beginning. He resolved that he would not let his pride keep his people in a place of vulnerability like his grandfather before him.

Two taller figures moved through the crowd, the she-elf's long red hair shining like a beacon even in the gloom of a dimly lit cave. At her side Bard's older daughter assisted, handing her tools and bandages as they moved their way through the few remaining people that hadn't been seen to. The dwarves huffed and puffed and grumbled that they would rather wait for a dwarf, but gave in quickly. Sigrid need only give a soft smile and she had many an older dwarf blushing in his beard.

Thorin turned to his nephew, glaring when he saw the soft look in his eyes. "Try not to look so befuddled in front of our kin."

"She is the most beautiful warrior I have ever seen, uncle. And she saved your life," Kili responded, shrugging and almost dislodging Thorin's arm where he helped support him as they walked to the front gate.

"She's still an elf. She'll be returning to Mirkwood soon."

Kili paled a bit and avoided Thorin's gaze. "When she came to help us in Laketown, and then again on Ravenhill, Thranduil banished her. If he's anything like you, he hasn't changed his mind."

"Would you have me offer her a place here?" Thorin asked, carefully making sure his face showed no emotion and that his voice offered no censure. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what he would do or say to Kili's response. There had never been an elf in residence of Erebor and he'd prefer to keep it that way, but when a dwarf loved it was completely. They would forsake all others, all needs, all wants, to be with their love.

He did not want to lose his family when he had only just made it possible for them to be home again.

"I think it depends on what she would like. She wants to travel, see the world, outside of the lake and the woods. I..." he swallowed, "I wouldn't mind going with her if she'd have me."

They reached the broken gate and Thorin leaned on the rock in support, grasping Kili's shirt as he sternly reminded, "Give her a bead before you leave, it's not appropriate to travel with a lady and have no ties."

"You would allow it?"

"Since when have you or your brother waited for permission to do anything?"

"You think she'd take it?"

"I don't know how elves think. Go ask Gandalf."

* * *

"I apologize for not offering suitable condolences when you first arrived," he began. "I was not well."

Sigrid sighed softly, gesturing for him to enter the room and take a seat. "That's quite alright, King Thorin. None of us were really ourselves at that time. Would you like some tea?"

He nodded, watching as she moved through the room with a serene grace that would've suited someone much older than she. He imagined she'd had to grow up very quickly, if he recalled her mother had died young, and now her father gone too. "Fili tells me that you'd like to stay here."

She paused mid-pour, her eyes jumping to his, before looking back down and completing her task. "He has invited that Tilda and I can stay. While we would have no family to go to should we leave, I believe we could make a home else-"

"I am not telling you to leave, child," he interrupted, only to be interrupted in return.

"I am not a child."

He nodded acknowledgement of that fact, sipping quietly before continuing. "I would honor the debt we owe your father."

"And brother."

"Aye, and brother. They killed the creature that we could not, only that we accidentally sent down on your town. I can provide you with whatever you need."

"I don't want your gold," Sigrid stated, taking her seat and pushing her drink away. "But the townspeople who went to Bight, they were promised coin for their help. Send it to them."

Thorin studied her face in silence, could tell it made her uncomfortable. "What would you have? What would you ask of me?"

"When the dragon took Erebor all that time ago...more than the mountain, more than the gold, more than the Arkenstone, what did you want?"

They let the questions sit between them in the air for several minutes, both thinking deeply on the possible answers. Finally, Thorin cleared his throat. "I wanted to not have to worry anymore, to have some place that we could be at peace and be safe."

"That's what I want. I want to not have to worry anymore. To know that I am here today, I will be here tomorrow, and no one can take it from me any day after that."

He knew of a solution for that, but he wasn't sure how she would respond. The offer had never been made to a child of man before, but as king he could do as he wished, even take his people down routes they'd never been before. "You are too old for me to offer, but I could make Tilda my ward. It would mean that for any dwarf or kingdom, she would be one of my kin and welcome there. As her sister, the hospitality would be extended to you as well. There would always be a place for you and she, among my people."

"Would you...would I still-"

"You'd stay here, raise her as you would, but I would provide for everything."

"To repay the debt to my father?"

Thorin stood, shaking his head. "To repay my debt to you. The debt to your father...it is too great to repay. He has given my people back their home. There is nothing equal that I can offer."

* * *

"Do you know why you never see dwarrow children?"

Bella set down her sword, Thorin had been teaching her how to clean and maintain the blade. She tilted her head in confusion. "I've never spent much time around dwarves before now, so I wouldn't be expected to have seen them."

He rolled his eyes but continued to speak. "After Smaug decimated us, the women stopped having them. It wasn't just the loss of Erebor, we lost family, children, our way of life. The first few winters that we wandered, many children died and in their grief the mothers couldn't stomach having another. Between the battle for Moria and Smaug...we were a diminished people. Now, though...they can return. My people can flourish once more."

"I'm glad I helped you, Thorin. That is...there is no greater feeling than knowing that I was able to help bring your people home."

"Will you stay?" He asked, blurting out the question that had been on his mind this past month as he recuperated. "I know that Gandalf has offered to escort you home, but I'd like it if you could stay a little longer. When my sister arrives with the first of the returning dwarves, there will be celebrations, and we would all like to honor you as you deserve. I would like you to see what you have brought about, see the forges lit up again, the music of creation that fills the halls."

Bella bit her lip and thought for several minutes. "I do miss the Shire, but I think I'd like to see that. And I do hate traveling in the cold. Just until spring, mind you," she assured him, "I'll see if Gandalf can return then to escort me home or I'll just make my own way."

"I can have someone escort you if need be," Thorin reassured her.

"And have them torn so soon from Erebor? No, I would be fine. I'm an experienced traveler now!" Bella boasted, pointing Sting at him in jest. "I can take care of myself."

"If you say so, Mistress Hobbit."

"I've even rescued you a time or two, Master Dwarf."

Thorin scoffed, "I merely needed more time to take care of the matter."

* * *

The snow drifted down thick and heavy, obscuring the distant view of the lake and the forest beyond. They stood on the now repaired ramparts and looked out, spending the time in silence and appreciating the view.

"If I hadn't left the Shire, right now I'd be watching this from my den window with a hot drink and some fresh cookies and I'd be wearing my winter robe made from wool and I'd probably have a fresh hen in the oven..."

"Is that regret I hear?" Gandalf asked, though the look on his face told her that he already knew the answer.

"Oh, no. Sounds terribly boring. This? This is a better view by far. It's a strange one though, and sometimes the familiar is what you want, something that doesn't change, something that looked as it did when you were a kid, as it does now, and as it will in the future."

"You'll be back there soon enough, Belladonna Baggins. And the Shire will welcome you with a hero's return."

Her laughter was so loud it echoed into the valley below. "No, they won't. I'll be strange Belledonna Baggins of Bag End, proof that Took blood wins out. Wandered off with a company of dwarves and a wizard and disappeared for years. Entirely inappropriate sort of woman. It's going to be delightful." She sincerely meant that, to her surprise.

After this adventure, there would be no getting back to normal. She would always be considered odd and unsuitable, and somehow that made things easier to go home to. She didn't have to worry about fitting in or being on time or what to wear, she could just be herself and if that was weird, then no one would be surprised.

"Where will you go from here?"

Gandalf lifted his pipe, lighting it and sending small plumes of smoke dissipating into the winter air before speaking, "I believe I will head south. There are things I must attend to in Gondor, and people I wish to see. There are dark times coming, Bella. Best you be back in the Shire before then."

"Do you think you could look into something for me? I found a ring while we were traveling, and Thorin was showing me how to keep the gold looking shiny using oil from the fire when we noticed some writing on it. He can't read it but he says it looks like a language from the South. Could you see if anyone can read it? I copied it as best I could."

"I can," the wizard agreed, taking the small paper she handed him and sliding it into his robes. "It will give me an excuse to come see you in the Shire. Perhaps this time, you'll even be hospitable."

"You came barging in with thirteen dwarves. I think I can be forgiven a lack of hospitality," Bella argued back, "but come see me and I will show you all the grace and welcome of hobbitkind."

* * *

It was truly a sight to see, the small dark blemishes moving through the snow and growing closer with each passing minute until the short forms of dwarves could be seen. Thorin stood with his company at the door, the fires blazing high in the braziers and guiding his people the doors even through the still falling snow.

Bella stood at his side, just abit behind so his taller form could block the snow. "Is that your sister Dis?"

"Yes, she leads our people when I cannot," Thorin explained.

"You allow women to rule?" She asked in surprise. It was not out of the ordinary for Hobbits to allow such a thing, but she'd garnered from observation that it was very much not expected in the world of man.

Thorin smiled down at her. "Women are our greatest asset, they keep their head when men cannot. Yes, they can rule. If I were to die, though Fili is my heir, I do not doubt that Dis would serve as regent and carry on until such time as he thought himself ready."

"You'll like our mother, Bella," Kili added, leaning back so she could see him wink at her. "She's the only person besides you I've ever seen yell at uncle."

"Well, he needed it," Bella assured, grinning at herself though she was a bit nervous. The company had told many stories of Dis on the trip, and she cut an intimidating figure even across the snow.

When she strode across the bridge, though, she was just a mother seeing her children again and that wasn't intimidating at all.

She hugged Fili and Kili to her for several minutes, none of them speaking and Bella found herself getting a bit teary eyed at the sheer relief on Dis' face. Thorin grasped her elbow and pulled her with him as he approached the trio. Dwarves streamed past them on both sides, gradually growing louder as they greeted the company and moved inside. Some of them tutted at the damage, already making plans to start repairs and how to improve things, and some of them cried, touching the walls as if they couldn't believe this was real.

"Sister, this is Belladonna Baggins, our burglar; Bella this is my sister Dis. Bella is the reason we have retaken Erabor," Thorin explained, subtly pushing Bella so that his sister could see the small hobbitess.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Bella announced, holding out her hand to greet the dwarrowdam. Dis eyed the hand before reaching out to grasp and yank her close, hugging her so tightly she squeeked in protest.

"Thank you, wee one, for this. I also understand you saved my kins' lives, many times over. I thank you for that, too."

"It was no problem," Bella wheezed, wriggling her way free and putting her feet back on the ground. She refused to touch her ribs because of pride, they ached just a bit from the hug.

"Tonight, we will feast and celebrate!" Dis announced and everyone cheered. "But first, we clean." The crowd wasn't as happy about that pronouncement.

* * *

Bella had thought that hobbits threw the best parties, but she'd never been to a dwarven party before. The feast lasted two days and nights, and even the elves that remained nearby were invited to partake. The returning people had brought a surplus of supplies with them, ale and meat, even fruits and vegetables. They set up instruments and played music until their fingers bled and when they couldn't play anymore someone would swoop in to take over. If you grew tired, you could sleep were you lay and then wake up and start over again.

Bella slept in her bed, but she returned several times to the festivities. By the time she returned the last time, it was late into the night of the second day and most of the dwarves had finally fallen asleep, with only two of them still playing music. It was a slower tune, of which very few had been played the last few days. Several couples still danced, to Bella's surprise Fili and Sigrid among them.

Thorin gestured for her to join him at the high table and she cautiously made her way through sleeping bodies to reach his side. The small girl Tilda was asleep next to him, her head resting in his lap, and her surprise must have shown on her face.

"She is my responsibility now."

"I knew you helped raise your nephews, but I don't think I ever imagined this," Bella admitted, taking a seat and pulling the plate of roast boar closer to gather a late night snack.

"Children deserve gentleness sometimes. It's like creating a blade, you require force and pressure, but a soft polish makes it shine."

"Sigrid and Fili look good together," Bella noted, nodding towards them where they circled slowly, Fili showing her how the dwarven dance was supposed to go.

"He feels responsible, so he is her friend. He tries to ease her burdens, helps with the child."

Bella smiled knowingly. "They are friends now, but that's how love is supposed to start, Thorin. That's how the best ones do, at least."

* * *

Next chapter, Kili and Tauriel.


	3. The Fellowship of Two

Title: Love Me (Like I'm Not Made Of Stone)

Genre: Movies

Series: The Hobbit

Characters: Kili, Tauriel

Spoilers: N/a

Rating: PG-13 to Mature

Summary: Events didn't turn out as expected, and the ripple effect cascades over all things.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

The Fellowship of Two

* * *

The soft tugging of her hair lulled her into a light doze, her eyes sliding shut and a soft smile curling her lips. This was, perhaps, something her mother had done for her when she'd been small but she couldn't remember. It'd been centuries since she'd been so comfortable with another person that she allowed them casual touch.

"Amralimne?"

Tauriel rested her head on his chest, pulling the bead that now hung from a small braid at her temple to her face so she could study the detail. It was wood exquisitely carved with decorations. It was no bigger than her finger nail, but she felt the weight of it through her whole body.

"Tauriel?"

His heart beat just under her cheek, the coarse fabric of his tunic tickling her nose, but she didn't want to move from where they lay together. "Tell me what it means."

He laughed and she could feel the way it traveled through his skin, his muscles jumping and his heart speeding up. She'd never been close enough to someone else to see how their body reacted to things, but she wanted to see it on Kili. How he'd feel when she kissed him, what made him laugh, what made him groan; she wanted to know everything.

"I thought you'd fallen asleep," he admitted, sitting up and dislodging her but he grasped her arms and they twisted so that her back rested to his chest. Together they looked at the bead that he'd woven into her hair minutes ago. "It's like a promise."

"Of what?"

"It means I am yours. To give it is the most serious thing a dwarf can do. It tells my kin that you are the one I love. That I will always love."

Tauriel thought on it for a minute. "Should I give you one?"

"You can, but you don't have to. It's a very public declaration, and I know you're more private." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "It's enough that I know."

She didn't think it was, not when her secret desire was to shout to the stars that she loved him and didn't care who knew. "Does King Thorin know you've given it to me? I don't wish to cause tension."

"He knows," he reassured her, holding her just a bit tighter, their legs tangling together. "He suggested that I do it before we leave, so that our people will know we leave in honor and not disrespect or...scandal."

"Scandal?"

Kili smiled sheepishly, shrugging. "An unwed dwarf prince running away with an unwed elf? I wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation, Tauriel. We may some day return here."

"We will return, Kili, I would not have you away from your family for all your days," she replied, turning her head to gaze back at him. He flinched slightly, and she knew it was the mention of his shorter life, and the unspoken length of her own.

She wanted to tell him he need not worry for the difference, but despite his own brash openness to discussing everything, she was an elf and sometimes did not have the words to give.

* * *

The preparations to leave took several months; Tauriel allowed the dallying because she felt that Kili wanted to spend that time with his mother and brother. It also made sense to wait until Bella would be able to withstand the travel better.

"Will you miss it? The forest, I mean," Bella clarified, standing beside her new traveling companion and studying the view that lay before them. The lake reflected the sun like a mirror, though there was just a small hint of shadow, the outline of Smaug's bones, just under the surface. The trees on the shore opposite were hinting at green leaves, branches swaying in a wind that was no longer cold.

"No," she replied. Tauriel was relieved that it was a true answer. "Whether it be made of trees or stone, a cage is a cage. I lived there for six hundred years, I will not regret leaving, only that it took me so long."

"You're welcome to stay in the Shire with me when we arrive," Bella offered with a smile, glancing back at the gathering of the company behind them. "Rest up before you two continue on. Do you know where you'll go?"

"We have talked of several places. He'd like to show me where he was raised in Ered Luin, I would like to see Imladris and the Western Sea. We thought of going south to Harad to see the desert. I think...we will wander."

"That sounds lovely," Bella offered, "but always remember what direction lies home. It makes leaving easier when you know the path back."

"What of you? You have spent much time with the dwarves, will you not miss them?"

"I will, but it's past time that I went home. I have friends and family in the Shire that have wondered for far too long about me."

"You return for obligation?" Tauriel inquired, perking her eyebrow as she gazed down at the small hobbitess beside her.

"Partly, but not just that. I...I just feel like I need to go. I should be there, safe in my home, waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What are you waiting for?" Tauriel asked again, though Bella looked well and truly confused by it and a small feeling of concern rose as the elf studied her face.

"I'm not sure, just...waiting for something."

Bella toyed with her necklace as she turned to gaze off into the distance, a small golden ring sliding along the chain with a soft rasp and Tauriel could feel that noise, echoing in her head, her fingers curling together as she fought the urge to reach out and touch it, take it, wear it-

"We're getting ready to go, come say goodbye to the company, Bella, before Gloin starts blubbering more than he already is," Kili instructed, joining them and pulling three small ponies behind him.

Bella darted off, throwing herself into the arms of her friends one by one, lingering just a bit with Thorin and speaking softly for his ears alone as they stood slightly apart from the others.

Tauriel shook her head, the fuzzy buzzing that had seemed so strong a second ago fading until she could think again. She smiled at Kili, taking the reins and studying the small creature. "You know I cannot ride this horse, yes?"

"We'll get you a larger one in the first town we come across," he replied with a grin. "She'll carry some supplies for now. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she assured him, brushing her fingers against his for just a second or two before grasping the reins he offered. "I just felt...strange for a moment, but it's passed."

* * *

The trio rode north for the journey home, skipping the forest and the mountains that divided east from west in Middle Earth. The abandoned city of Framsburg welcomed them on the cusp of spring, with the Grey Mountains north, the Lonely Mountain south, and smaller peaks of Hithaeglir to the west. Tauriel suggested this route for the ease of following the river through the mountains and past Ettenmoors, but also because she wanted to get a sense for Mount Gundabad, now that so many orcs had been slain and their leaders gone.

"It will be decades before they recover their numbers," she explained as they rode past. "If the leaders of man were more united, now would be the time to destroy them completely."

"Is that why Gandalf went south? To roust the armies to march on Angmar?" Kili asked, not so subtley placing himself between her and the shadow of the Mount Gundabad. He watched the area with wary eyes, his hand resting on his bow.

"I do not believe he wants them gone from this earth," Tauriel admitted. "There must be a balance in such things, there is a place for good and evil."

"What do you think?" Bella asked.

"I think that the sun will rise, the stars will shine, and evil will always exist. If the orcs are gone, something else will rise in their place. Perhaps there could be a season of peace without them, however."

"Would the elves not come to wipe them out?"

Tauriel smiled at Bella, before shrugging. "If they are wise, and most would say elves are, then no. We have lost many of our kin for the wars of man. Most of my kind would rather cross the Western Sea than fight again."

"Then why did Thranduil enter the battle at Erebor?"

"Arrogance," she admitted, glaring when Kili grinned at her. "He did not think the dwarves a serious threat. By the time the orcs came, his army was cornered and even then he still thought to try and leave."

"Without his aid, all would have been lost," Bella admitted, remembering how the arrows had filled the sky and the graceful sway of an elven warrior cutting through orcs.

"He will feel the loss of so many warriors for centuries," Tauriel replied. "Hopefully he will learn from it."

* * *

The Shire was the greenest place Tauriel had ever seen. The Greenwood had been beautiful before the darkness had swallowed up its vitality, a mix of the soft earth, the thick lush green of tree moss, and the towering shadows of tree limbs. The Shire was an entirely different feeling, like stumbling out of the shadows and finding the soft velvet touch of sun on grass. There was an innate relaxing sense of warmth, from the land and the people.

It was very clear, however, that she was the first elf that many of them had seen.

"How's the air up there, lass?"

It was the third time in two hours she'd heard that joke.

Kili stiffled his laugh at the look on her face, she knew he could probably tell that beneath the serene smile she was growing agitated.

"The same as down there, I imagine," she replied, continuing down the path after Bella and leaving Kili and the small group of hobbits laughing at themselves.

"If your home is as small as these, I do not believe I will fit within," Tauriel pointed out to Bella.

"Bag End is different, best hobbithole in all of the Shire. It's a bit bigger for visitors. Gandalf moves about just fine, only hit his head a couple times and you're shorter than he is," Bella explained. "Though we could also make a lean-to for you if you'd like to sleep under the stars."

"I would not decline the offer of a bed."

"We would not decline the offer," Kili corrected, catching up with them and reaching out to grasp her hand. If they had been around her people, or his, she would have indulged him just a second before withdrawing the sign of affection; she felt it better to be decorous around people who were predisposed to opposing their match. Here, with these people, she felt no need.

"Now, Bella, let's talk about this offer of...meat pie? How soon could you make such a thing?" Kili teased, his thumb passing smoothly back and forth over the skin of Tauriel's hand until she felt the touch vibrating through her arm.

"If you weren't a dwarf, you'd make a good hobbit," Bella laughed. "I can make it for supper if you'd like, I'll have to run to market though-" She stopped, her smile falling off as she gazed up the hill at what Tauriel could only assume was Bag End. "Who are all those people in my home? Is that...Lobelia?! That cabbaged face daughter of a-"

* * *

She's dancing under the moon of the summer solstice, and Kili swore that he'd never seen anything so beautiful. The apple brandy the hobbits had passed around in excess seemed to have gotten to her more than the ale of the dwarves ever had. Her lips curved in a dreamy smile and she held her hand out to him, inviting him to join her.

"You are drunk, amralimne."

"Perhaps," she admitted, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him close, encouraging his head to rest just above her bosom. They swayed there together, the other couples eventually leaving them to it until they were alone and even the musicians had stumbled their way home. "Amin nowe ron n'kelaya."

"When you start speaking in elvish, it's time for bed," Kili pointed out, chuckling to himself as he started to pull her towards Bag End.

"I am not tired," Tauriel protested, but still followed him without hesitation.

"Maybe I am? We're leaving tomorrow and we need our rest. The Blue Mountains aren't far but I'm pretty sure they're going to be more tiresome than the Shire."

"Are you nervous?"

He thought about it for several minutes, they had made their way all the way to their room in Bag End before he spoke again. "I am not nervous for them to meet you. I am afraid that they will give you a hard time, because if they do-"

"I can handle it," Tauriel interupted, pressing her fingers to his lips. "Words do not hurt me, Kili."

"I will not allow them to speak ill of you," he confessed. "I will abandon all ties to the mountains before I would."

"Amin khiluva lle a' gurtha ar' thar."

"Get in bed, elf, there's no talking to you tonight."

Tauriel complied but looked up at him coquettishly. "Amin mela lle."

"That one I recognize." He kissed her gently, allowed her to pull him into bed with her. They had disregarded propriety somewhere on the road through the mountains, and he did not want to sleep away from her ever again, no matter where they were. "I love you, too."

* * *

He waited only until the door closed behind them to draw her close, his thick fingers sliding up her legs and taking her tunic with it. "That was brilliant!"

"Kili, it is the middle of the day," she protested, but Kili could feel her fingers twining in his hair and pulling him closer. She was bare beneath her top, her back as smooth and pale as white silk, and his hands slid across the two dimples that dipped just above her slimly curved rear with what could only be described as possession.

"You took down ten...ten! Of Dain's warriors."

"They wished to see how skilled a warrior a elf lady could be," Tauriel explained, though she knew he already had heard of the circumstances of the sparring match. "I only endeavored to show them."

"I was worried when I heard you were sparring, but I did not need to. You can take care of yourself, I know," he said, talking into the shadow of skin beneath her ear, his lips caressing her skin. "But I like to take care of you."

Tauriel pushed her trousers to the floor. She grasped his shirt and began to pull him forward, walking backwards toward their bed. "Then by all means, melamin, take care of me."

After a very thorough session of care, he watched from the bed as she moved about the room, his robe dancing flirtatiously around her lithe thighs. Having finally found her hairbrush, she returned to the bed and began to run it through her hair, swatting at him playfully when he idly started to braid the ends.

"Marry me."

"In the dwarven way? Yes."

Kili furrowed his brow, confused by the distinction. "What is the difference between the two?"

Tauriel bit her lip, a blush rising up her chest and flushing her face. "For my kin, we are already wed."

"What? When?"

"In the shire. When we...consummated," she explained in stilting voice, clearly uncomfortable.

"You do not exchange vows? No celebration?"

"I believe you and I have said vows several times, but yes, traditionally there is a celebration. It was not neccesary, however." She studied his reaction to that and he let his displeasure be shown. "My parents are deceased, Kili. Part of the celebration would require their presence for the gifting, without it it is merely a party."

"Is there an exchange?" He asked, forcing himself to move on from a clearly painful admission.

"An elven betrothal starts with the exchange of silver rings, and before consummation they are returned and gold ones replace them. They are not ornate or bejeweled, I did not think you would be interested in such a thing. During the celebration, my mother and your father would call on Manwe and Varda, and gift a necklace to us both with a jewel to rest over our hearts." She reached over and covered his hand. "You see now why a celebration of elven nature did not make sense? Besides, I am happy with my bead. It serves much the same, a soft reminder of you to have with me."

"I do not want you to forgo elven traditions for mine," Kili chided, "You have compromised on many things-"

"Happily compromised," she asserted, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I did so without regret. Now, are we going to attend dinner or are we going to stay in bed all night?"

"You know which one I'm going to vote for."

* * *

She cannot describe the immense presence of the Western Sea. Tauriel imagined she could speak of the soft but coarse sand under her bare feet, the way the water surged back and forth, churning and bubbling, or how blinding the sun was as it reflected off the water and into her eyes. There was an intimate feeling on the beach, like there was something holy but unseen right before her eyes and she need only reach out her hands and she could feel it.

"Beautiful."

"It is," she agreed, kneeling so that she could run her fingers through the water that was now tickling her ankles.

"I meant you," Kili corrected, still trying to pull off his boots so he could join her. "One day you'll cross those waters..."

"No, Kili, I won't," Tauriel confessed. She nervously pulled the length of her hair over her shoulder, wringing the water from the ends where they'd dragged in the water while she was distracted.

"Why not? Because...you're with me?"

She couldn't stand the look of self recrimination on his face, and she knew that if she was going to tell him of her decision this was the best time and place to do so. "I could not bear to be away from you. When you are gone, I will fade. Elves also only love once in their lives...I will not live without you. I will see you live and see you die, and when you are gone I will choose to follow you."

"I don't want that, Tauriel."

"The length of a life does not decide it's merit. I choose to live and die with you." She pulled from her pocket a small pouch, opening and allowing what was inside to fall into her palm. She offered it to him, waiting until he stood beside her in the water. "Dain taught me how to mine gold, and allowed me a small boon. I poured the mold myself. I decided I do not want to abandon all of my heritage."

Kili picked up the golden rings, running his sensitive fingers over their curves. Tauriel knew he could find the imperfections easily, but they needn't be perfect, they need only be theirs. "You did a good job. May I?"

She offered her hand and held her breath as he slid it onto her index finger. It was jarring to see it there, so dark against her skin, but it felt right. "Sometimes...I do not have the words to tell you how you make me feel." His ring slid onto his finger just as easily as her's had.

"That's okay, I know. Haven't I always known?"


	4. Miraculous Grace

**Title:** Love Me (Like I'm Not Made Of Stone)

 **Genre:** Movies

 **Series:** The Hobbit

 **Characters:** Fili, Sigrid, Thorin, Dis

 **Spoilers:** N/a

 **Rating:** PG-13 to Mature

 **Summary:** Events didn't turn out as expected, and the ripple effect cascades over all things.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

* * *

Miraculous Grace

* * *

It was the first time they would ever be separated for longer than a few hours. He had never gone to sleep without knowing exactly where his baby brother was and how quickly it would take for him to get to him. He was the one who comforted his nightmares, who heard his secrets, who sparred with him until he knew that he'd be able to defend himself from bullies and later wrapped his knuckles from the scuffles that inevitably came.

He felt the loss of his brother like an amputation, like a piece of him was walking away and there was nothing he could do about it. It felt like physical pain to see him go, and to know that when he returned he would be part of "Kili and Tauriel" and never would they be "Fili and Kili" again.

"Fili?"

"Yes?" He'd have to get used to hearing only his name and not the rapid echo of his brother's behind it. He would not show his sadness, not here in front of his kin, not when his brother smiled so easily and left him behind without a second thought.

"Sometimes little siblings grow up, even when you don't want them to," Sigrid commented, stepping up to his side to watch the trio go.

Fili glanced at her, not surprised that she could see more in him than the others. They had become close friends these past months, and even if they did not confide their secrets, they were so alike it wasn't hard to guess their nature. "Is it so obvious?"

"No," she denied, bumping into him slightly in jest, "but I know how I would feel in your place. If that were Tilda riding off without me."

"I am not afraid for him."

"Of course not, he's a grown dwarf. Maybe he needs this, though. It can't be easy living in your shadow," Sigrid wondered aloud, "or for you to always be thinking of him instead of yourself."

"That is what family does," he defended, even as he could feel the truth of what she was saying. He did often put Kili's needs first, but that was his job as older brother, to take care of him.

"You can't always think of family first," Sigrid pointed out, "not when you're going to be King."

* * *

"Now weave the rope back through this loop," Sigrid instructed him in the same gentle tone she used with Tilda. Fili tried not to feel patronized and to appreciate her help with rebuilding dexterity in his injured arm and hand. "Try not to look so grumpy, this is helping, is it not?"

"Yes," he acknowledged, tossing the fishing net onto the table with a sigh. "I'd rather be practicing with chains of gold and molten ore, not rope and cloth."

"You're almost there, I think. I know that Dwalin appreciates your assistance in the armory in the meantime," she consoled, grinning at his disbelieving look. "Well, he has not said as much but I assume."

"I do not want to make weapons."

"You also do not want to make a fishing net, but here you are."

"What did uncle want to speak with you earlier for?" Fili asked, gathering his incomplete net, knowing he would work on it more later. She was right, it did help with the movements of his fingers. The repetitive back and forth reminded him of crafting chains, though a bit larger in scale.

"He requested my opinion on what to do about trade with Erebor," Sigrid replied matter of factly. "Or rather the lack there of."

"And?"

"And...I suggested I journey down to Bight and offer assistance to the townspeople with the rebuilding of Laketown. Or rather, a new town on the edge of the lake. Balin believes that without a town of Man nearby, Thorin will not be able to attract traders and I agree. Then dwarves would have to take on a bulk of the travel, which is more dangerous considering the value of what you trade."

"A solid plan, when do we leave?"

"We are not going anywhere. You are staying, and I am going. I believe Dori and Nori will be going with me."

Fili shook his head. "I think it better that there is a royal representative with you. I will go."

"Fili, you do not have to mind me, Dori and Nori can protect me. I am representing the King of the Lonely Mountain, few would dare to lay a hand on me," she argued, standing and pacing away. "You cannot always be with me."

"I prefer it," he replied and enjoyed the way she blushed.

"There is a caravan coming from the Blue Mountains, and in that caravan are several dwarrowdams your uncle would like you to meet," Sigrid revealed, her voice quiet but with no censure.

"I do not want to meet them," now it was he who stood and paced away. "I'll speak to uncle, he will change his mind."

"You do not want to do a lot of things, Fili," Sigrid chastised, picking up his project and tossing it to him. "That does not mean they will not be done anyways."

* * *

"They will arrive soon, stop pacing."

Fili tried to do as his uncle commanded, he really did, but within minutes he was back up and moving back and forth along the bridge in front of the king's chair.

"Fili, gather your senses. I have never seen you so out of sorts," Thorin pointed out, his tone dry but his eyes concerned. "You have met dwarrowdams before."

"That is not the issue, uncle."

"The girl will return within a few week's time. You can set aside your sense of duty for that long."

"I did not befriend Sigrid out of a sense of duty," Fili scoffed, glaring at Thorin and coming to stand in front of him. "I should have gone with her to Bight."

"I agree," Thorin surprised him by answering, "but she requested that you did not."

Fili was slack jawed for several minutes, unsure what to make of that new information. "What? Why?"

"She believes that you are relying on her in Kili's place and not taking the time to miss your brother. She is very intuitive, your Sigrid." Thorin sounded pleased as he said it, but Fili could feel him studying his reaction to the words.

"I am not putting her in Kili's place, treating her like a brother. If she felt as much, she should have told me."

"And what? You'd tell her that you feel nothing brotherly towards her?"

"You're trying to make me say something untoward," Fili accused, clenching his hands at his sides so he wouldn't reach out and shake his uncle in frustration.

"Bella believed that you might fall in love with Sigrid and told me that I should be mindful of what I say to you, lest I lose you as I have lost Kili," Thorin sighed heavily and admitted. "I have spoken with Sigrid, but she is even harder to read than you are. You both hide things behind your eyes, saying nothing of what is going on in your thoughts or your hearts. It is why I have faith that she will navigate the negotiations with the Laketown people so well. It is why I have faith that you will be a great king. It will not make courting an easy thing for you, however, Fili."

"Do you believe she feels for me?"

"I believe I know nothing," Thorin grinned. "You'll notice that I do not have a wife. Speak to her, Fili. Know where you both stand." His uncle's smile faded, the merriment gone. "But be honest with her. She will never be queen of Erebor, the laws of succession are very clear, but you, Fili, are still very young. It may be that I live long enough that it never is an issue. It may be that I die tomorrow. Make sure that she understands the role she will have in your life, or do not invite her into it."

Fili swallowed and nodded his head. He knew what Thorin was trying to say, what he was trying to make Fili understand about the life differences between man and dwarf, about the cultural differences between commitment and marriage.

How did he know if she was the one? His mother, who had married for love, only said that she knew as soon as she'd seen his father. That she felt it in her chest, a lovely light feeling of "rightness" that never left her until the day his father had died. Then everything had felt wrong, and he and Kili had seen how hard it had been on her to lose him.

He didn't know if Sigrid was his One, but he felt something.

Thorin cleared his throat and gestured behind him. The slow approach of dwarves was echoing through the chamber and Fili turned to greet them, confronted with the sight of three gold-laden, ostentatiously dressed young lady dwarves.

They definitely didn't feel right but he moved forward with a smile anyways.

* * *

It took two years for Laketown to rebuild, and Sigrid helped every step of the way. Thorin appointed her to head the guild for restoration, and though neither dwarf or Man understood that appointment, they came to respect her abilities and intelligence. She delegated with keen eyes, almost instinctually knowing who was best for which duty which the men recognized and appreciated. She held the budget with an iron fist, which the dwarves watched with suspicious eyes and eventually high esteem. It was clear to any who observed her that she had fought for and found a place comfortably between the two races, helping both but favoring neither.

It was also clear to anyone who observed that the Crown Prince felt more than affection for the heir of Girion, but what she felt in return none could ever say.

Sigrid wanted it to stay that way. When she had first returned from East Bight, more than one suitor had followed, thinking that through her they would find a way to gain more than a fair share of dwarven gold. She had set those few straight fairly quickly, but a couple had actually wanted her for her fair self and it was Fili and Thorin who had sent them on. She'd requested it of Thorin, but Fili had taken it upon himself.

That was when she knew.

Even knowing that he felt the same as she did, drawn inextricably closer with every conversation, casual touch, and chanced glance, Sigrid refused to show any sign. There was no future in courting with Fili, common sense told her that he was far too above her station in life for anything to be possible except a torrid affair. Besides, she would not want the friendship that she had come to cherish to be destroyed by unbridled lusts.

"Balin said you wanted to speak with me?" The King joined her on the ramparts, looking down on the newly built Laketown in the setting light of the sun.

"Did he tell you about the merchant from Gondor?"

"The one who asked for Tilda's hand for his son? Yes, he did."

"He is a nice man," Sigrid explained, "but it does not feel right."

"By dwarven tradition, she cannot marry until you marry. It's considered bad luck," Thorin confided. "But you are not dwarrrow."

"I would have your opinion," she requested, "on the subject. You know my feelings."

"I know you never intend to marry, but you are also young."

"You never married."

Thorin sighed. "And it complicated my life, as a King, and made it lonely, as a dwarf."

"I am not lonely," she assured him, reaching out and laying her hand on his shoulder.

"Not now, but there are many years between now and the end for you. And for your sister."

Sigrid sighed, running her hands down her dress and smiling tightly. "I've been thinking that it's time I accept a suitor."

"There are still offers for you, from Man and from Dwarf. I will have Balin gather a list for you."

"I did not think there were so many."

"There are more than you think, some you may even be surprised by," Thorin teased, running his fingers through his growing beard with a grin. He turned to go but paused when she spoke again.

"Do you regret living your life alone?"

"No, but there are still many years ahead of me, Mahal willing."

* * *

"How did your walk with the steward of Rohan progress?"

"He's swine and shall not be given another minute of my time," Sigrid swore, her dislike curling her lip.

Dis laughed and it echoed through the room, calming Sigrid's nerves as she paced frantically in front of the door. "That badly?"

"He tried to lay his hand upon my bosom! Without permission!"

"It's acceptable if he has permission?" Dis jested, tutting Tilda quiet as she slowly worked her way through an intricate braid of the lass's hair. They were supposed to be going down to Laketown for the spring solstice.

"Yes! No! Oh, bother!" She sat down heavily on the bed, huffing angrily. "I just...I felt disrespected. What is it about Men that believe they can treat women this way?"

"I told you to take a dwarven suitor," Dis admonished. She turned Tilda to study how the hairstyle looked from the front, pressing a kiss to the girl's cheek as she judged it worthy. She gave her a gentle push to the door. "Go tell Dwalin to escort you down to the festival while I speak with your sister." She waited until the girl was gone before speaking again. "Will you not consider Fili?"

"He has never put an official offer in," Sigrid replied obliquely, staring down and picking at an errant thread in her dress.

"He is my son, and if you gave him any sign of affection, he would be on his knees before you."

"He is to be King."

"And you are descended from royalty," Dis returned. She went and took a seat beside Sigrid, pulling her closer and cradling her into her side. "I love you as my kin, I would not press this so unless I truly believed that he is where your happiness is."

"You should go to the festival. If you do not leave now, you'll miss the opening ceremony."

"Are you coming?" Dis asked, accepting the change of topic with ease. They'd had this conversation before, and probably would again. "Or has that ponce ruined your taste for merriment?"

"I'll stay here, but thank you. I have a headache, a quiet night is just what Oin would suggest."

It _was_ a quiet night, most of the mountain had descended on the town below to celebrate a new season and the abundance of crops that had finally flourished under their cooperation with Men. Sigrid sat quietly with a book for several hours before she grew restless and then no adventure story could keep her melancholy at bay. She took a seat on her balcony and gazed down at the lights below. Someone had brought in fireworks and sporadically one would spiral into the sky and light up the whole valley. The explosion echoed all the way up to her and every once and a while she thought she could hear the music. She was straining to hear it when she missed the gentle knock at her door, and the blond dwarf who entered.

"I heard you had a headache, so I brought you some food from below," Fili called out, setting the small basket on a table and joining her on the balcony.

"Thank you, Fili, but you needn't have done so. You should've stayed down there and enjoyed the festival. It only comes once a year," Sigrid scolded him, though her mouth was salivating at what she was sure was the smell of honey rolls from her old neighbor Nena's kitchen.

"I stayed long enough," he replied, coming and standing close enough that she could just barely smell the myrrh she knew scented his hair soap. "What has you so down that not even the prospect of dancing could bring you to your feet?"

Sigrid sighed heavily. "I am tired."

He kneeled and pressed a hand to her forehead. "You've been working too hard. Are you becoming ill?"

"Not tired like that," she struggled to explain, "just...tired. Of balancing the budget, chasing after Tilda, negotiating with men, the courting, the back and the forth, I'm just...tired. I don't know how you and Thorin do it, you make it look so easy."

"You need a break," Fili suggested, a small grin on his face lighting up when she mentioned being tired of courting.

"You don't get a break."

"I'm not the one frustrated."

"I am not frustrated," Sigrid denied, pushing his hand away and glaring at him. "I chose to do this job. It's my responsibility."

"Just because you chose it doesn't mean you don't need a break sometimes," he defended, standing and taking a respectful step back. She'd wounded him, just a bit she knew but she couldn't take back the words now.

"If you could do anything, be anything, what would it be?" Sigrid asked, brushing her fingers against his in a silent apology.

Fili's thoughts were heavy on his face, his smile fading before he spoke again. "I would be a coppersmith like my adad. Spend my days in a shop, twisting jewelry together or blending liquid ore until its strength was unmatched. It's dangerous, but beautiful. The colors would surprise you, the burnt red of pure copper only until it blends and becomes shades of blue matched to the sky or the water deep in the lake."

"You would not rule?" She asked, her hands clenching the arms of the chair beneath her, the question from her mouth entirely different from the question on her mind.

"If I had a choice? No," his confession was quiet but she could feel the truth of his words. It changed something in her, to know that he didn't choose this life, it was one he could not escape. It made everything she'd been feeling, everything she thought she'd known, more clear than it had felt in years. "What about you? What would you do if there were no limits, no expectations?"

She stared at him and she _knew._ She knew what she would do and before she could stop herself, she was doing it. She was on her feet, she laced her fingers into the thick strands of hair behind his ears and pulled him to herself, pressing her mouth against his with a silent hum that started in her chest and trembled it's way through her whole body. Anywhere their bodies touched was like a hot spot, a burning connection between them that made every pump of her heart feel like the collapse of a mine, like the final end to the hollow feeling that had haunted her everyday that she walked in this place.

He kissed her back instantly, no hesitation just the flash fire of a forge held banked too long. Her touch was air and an open window, there was no controlling the heat any longer. It smoldered in his hands as he wrapped them around her waist and pulled her close, it sparked along his lips when her tongue slid lazily across that plump bottom one she could no longer resist. He tasted like the copper he wanted to mold, sharp and oddly sweet but it drew her closer with his touch of his tongue to hers.

They moved, in sync and deeper into the room, it could almost have been dancing were it not for the slow but methodical removal of clothing. Her blouse fell by the desk, his belt by the bookcase. He hissed with pleasure when her fingernails ran lightly through the near translucent chest hair that carpeted his dense muscles, and she moaned loudly when his teeth nipped less than gently at her ear lobe.

Then they were on the bed and together, their bodies pressed intimately and she could feel him everywhere, around her, inside her, and it was an awakening to her every sense. She could tell now that his hair soap wasn't just myrrh, but also a hint of lavender, and that he'd borrowed Kili's shirt without asking, it left the lingering smell of coriander that she associated with Tauriel and she knew Fili had not been near any elves lately.

She could describe for you the softness of the skin on his back, though it covered muscles so hard that they could've been stone. He was built different from the Men she'd seen, as if Mahal had truly carved him from the mountain as Ori often described in his stories. There was no softness to his body but he touched her so slowly and with such reverence that not even the calluses on his fingers bothered her.

If anything, she wanted more.

Since she'd already given up so much of her temperance today, Sigrid decided that she would not go into the morning with regrets.

"Harder, Fili. I will not break."

His hoarse whisper in Khuzdul was incomprehensible to her, but he did as she asked, shifting his hips minutely until she gasped in his ear and his movements became frantic, finally matching what she had felt since their first touch.

Then he stroked into her just right and her entire body rebelled against her, her vision bleeding white and her body arching against him and she knew nothing but pure pleasure and nothing before had ever felt so right.

* * *

The sun slanted too bright light across the bed but the warmth of it paled in comparison to the dwarf beside her. She felt the soft brush of his eyelashes against her neck, the moist heat of his breath in the hollow of her throat, she wasn't surprised when leaned up and onto his elbow, gazing down at her with a heated look.

"Good morning," he greeted, kissing her briefly on the corner of her mouth. Sigrid appreciated that his eyes did not wander south, especially since some time in the night they'd lost her blankets to the floor.

"Good morning," she replied, running her fingers across the fine hairs on his cheek. She pulled at the ties somehow still there, slowly unwinding his braids until his hair and beard were free of ornament. He'd have to redo them before he could go out in public anyways. "I cannot be your Queen."

Fili swallowed heavily, wrapping his hand around her neck and pulling her forward until his forehead lightly bumped hers. "No, but I would have you as my wife and consort. If you would accept."

"I thought that I would feel...out of place. A wife but not a queen. My children royalty but not heirs. I do not know where I will fit in your life," Sigrid confessed, holding tears at bay through strength of will alone. She could feel it still, the worry of uselessness, the uncertainty of what this would bring. "I want to be with you regardless but please know that this terrifies me."

"If you ask it of me, I will abdicate," Fili admitted, "and a part of me wants you to. Ask of me anything, my love, and I will give it."

She shook her head and the tears finally slid out. "You will be a great King. Your people need you, they deserve you. I will not be so selfish."

"I will," he vowed, "for I cannot and will not let you go now that I have had you. Marry me."

"Yes."

* * *

 _Bag End_

 _The smial at the end of Bagshot Row_

 _In the township of Hobbiton_

 _The Shire_

 _Dear burglar,_

 _One would think that I would have learned never to doubt your instincts._

 _Your friend,_

 _Thorin_


	5. The One Ring

Title:

Genre: Movies

Series: The Hobbit

Characters: Bella (Bilbo) Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, the Company

Spoilers: N/A

Rating: PG13-Mature

Summary: Events didn't turn out as planned, and the ripple effect cascades over all things.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

"Is it secret?!"

* * *

 _Bella,_

 _Your suggestions for improving the harvest were well met by the farming guild, I appreciate your assistance with the matter. The seedlings you sent with the last caravan from Ered Luin have taken to the fields outside the mountain and every day it grows more green. Soon we will rival the Shire._

 _Perhaps then you will be tempted to visit us. I've already offered to send a company to escort you, you need only request it. Fili was quite disappointed that you were not able to attend his wedding, but he and the company sang a hobbit tune in your honor. At least I think it was a song, it might have been a tavern limerick._

 _My search continues for an appropriate wife, my council has drafted yet another list of eligible dwarrowdams for my consideration. At your suggestion, I did put my foot down and demand only dams of a certain age be presented. My advisers protested that it would leave out too many, but after the disaster of that last meeting with the lass Kili's age, I couldn't stomach the thought of considering one that young._

 _After our journey with you, I dislike admitting it, but dwarrowdams do not hold the same appeal. They are so few in number, so revered by my people, they all have an arrogance and pride that I find off putting after growing accustomed to your hobbit nature. Sigrid reminds me of you, she approaches things simply and without ceremony, it's refreshing that she is so straightforward. She would have made a good queen._

 _I've included a draft of the apprenticeship contract for your Thain. My metalcrafting guild looks forward to sending emissaries to practice their craft in the Shire._

 _If you feel you must, please regale me with tales of the Shire. I miss your companionship, my friend._

 _Thorin_

* * *

"Is it safe?!"

* * *

 _Thorin,_

 _Even now the image of a female Kili flirting with you makes me laugh, you poor old dwarf. Such indignity, can you not tell them no? What is the difference between you being the King in Exile and not having a wife, and being the King Under The Mountain and not having a wife? You have your heirs, they have their wives, eventually they'll have children to be new heirs. This is why I prefer the rule of the hobbits, we choose our leaders by who is most capable and fair._

 _I am glad that I can assist with the rebuilding of Erebor, even if it must be from a far. I would come to visit, I truly would, I miss you all terribly. I'm actually entangled in a some courtship rituals here in the Shire and if I were to tear myself away my family would be terribly disappointed._

 _I've enclosed some wheat seeds that should take to the ash covered soil well, and they do not take long to produce. Bombur will be baking bread within a few months, see if you can get me his recipe for sweet rolls in trade? He refused to part with it before I left. Go intimidate him with your kingly manner._

 _The Thain looks forward to having a blacksmith back in the Shire. There's already a list of requests for repairs or new tools, though do please let them know that as the savior of Erebor, my requests get moved to the top?_

 _I'm teasing, of course. I know that if I ever had even a small need, you'd send one of the company to handle it personally, though that is absolutely unnecessary. I have been taking care of myself for years, before I ran away with a troupe of thirteen dwarves, and after I came back with your nephew._

 _Speaking of, he and Tauriel stopped by to see me a month back. They look well, more in love than ever, it's enough to make a spinster envious. They were going south when they left, I think aiming for Rohan and Harad. I think if I'd had to listen to one more night of their enthusiasm I might've just packed up and gone too._

 _No, however, I think my adventure days are over. It seems almost like each day I grow a little more tired, more inclined to stay here in my quiet life._

 _That being said...I miss you too._

 _Bella_

* * *

"Hold out your hand, Bella. It's quite cool."

* * *

 _Burglar,_

 _The king is a boor to be around. Did you steal his sense of humor when you left?_

 _Nori, Dori, and Ori_

* * *

"What can you see? Can you see anything?"

* * *

 _Dearest sons of Ri,_

 _Not to my knowledge, but it was so small that it might've slipped into my bags on accident._

 _Love,_

 _Barrel Rider_

* * *

"Just the same markings as before, that Thorin and I saw."

* * *

 _Bella,_

 _Entangled in courtship rituals? I need more detail before I and Fili will accept that as an excuse for missing the royal wedding._

 _Bombur has indeed begun to make his baked treats again, but he refuses to part with the recipe...unless you return to claim it yourself. I think he is on the right track, we'll need to bribe you to come back. I could offer gold or jewels, but you were never partial to them. Now that the cave gardens are alive again, there are rare mushrooms that haven't been seen in decades...and you were fond of them, weren't you? Too bad you cannot partake...all the way in Hobbiton as you are..._

 _Thorin_

* * *

"There are very few that can read it. It is the language of Mordor, which I dare not speak here."

* * *

 _King under the Mountain,_

 _Bribery is unbecoming of sovereignty._

 _It is not an excuse, it is an explanation! My cousin Drogo has begun courting his One, a Brandybuck if you could believe it. I have been designated chaperone, and must be present during the handfasting and courting for propriety's sake. (Though if I may or may not allowed them a moment or two of privacy for a kiss, I'd never tell.)_

 _It is an honor to have been chosen to do so, and one that could not be delegated._

 _Stop pouting, your highness. You know you're one of the few things that will ever get me back out of this smial._

 _Love,_

 _Bella_

* * *

"In the common tongue, it says, 'One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them.'"

* * *

 _Bella,_

 _The five year anniversary of our journey approaches, there will be a celebration and a ceremony honoring our company. If there ever was a time for you to come, it is now._

 _If I am one of the few things that will get you out of the Shire, tell me and I will come for you._

 _Thorin_

* * *

"One ring to bring them all and in darkness, bind them."

* * *

 _Thorin,_

 _Something terrible has happened. Or is happening. Or will happen. I'm not sure. Gandalf has come for me, we must leave the Shire now._

 _You once told me that dragon sickness was like a shadow at the corner of your eye, always there lurking, waiting for your weakness to slip back in. I didn't know what you meant then, but I do now. It was there the whole time, I just wasn't seeing it. Now I know there are many types of madness in this world, and I am not immune._

 _Perhaps for the last time..._

 _Love,_

 _Bella_

* * *

Thorin set the scroll onto the desk, a headache forming in his temples as he reread the words for the third time. It took him only a minute to write out a reply. He gestured for the raven to approach, gifting it with a sizable piece of meat from his dinner and an admonition. "Find her. She might not be in the shire anymore, but she won't be far, not yet."

* * *

 _Bella,_

 _You're not making any sense. Tell me where Gandalf is taking you and I will meet you there._

 _Thorin_

* * *

They're on the East West Road, about three days past Bree when her feet seem to fail her. Bella fell to her knees, her palms scraped and her knees bruising already, her head growing lighter as the setting sun blinded her. "Gandalf!"

The grey wizard was at her side in a second, grasping her arm and pulling her to her feet. "You must keep moving."

"I cannot," she denied, pushing at his hold with little effect. "I am so tired."

"It is the ring," he whispered, his voice grave and his eyes sad. "If you stop, you will never move again. You must keep moving."

Bella felt a small hand at her back, then the soft voice of her kin. "I can carry it, Bella. If it will make it easier on you."

"No, Drogo, this is my burden. I will at least see it to safety."

"We can carry you for a while," Primula offered, smiling at her with fondness. "Between us, like a proper chaperone."

It made Bella smile, which felt so strange since she had not done so in many months. "I am not doing a very good job."

"You're the best," Drogo denied, wrapping an arm around her waist as Primula did the same. Bella felt their hands clasp behind her and then they were moving forward again.

"I should not have allowed you to come," Bella argued back, sighing heavily. "What will your parents think?"

"That the Mad Baggins has dragged us off for an adventure," Primula said with glee, "but it's okay, we're young enough they'll shrug it off as the petulance of fauntlings."

* * *

 _Thorin,_

 _You must stay in Erebor, it's not safe. Gandalf thinks there is war coming. I have caused it, accidentally, but still I have caused it. I do not know how I will live with this. It was bad enough what happened to Laketown, I still dream of fire._

 _This? I do not think I can stand it._

 _Please? The only thing I could possibly wish for is your safety. Yours, and the company's. Keep my men safe within the mountain. If you can, call Kili and Tauriel back. I do not know how long we will have._

 _Bella_

* * *

Balin waited until the sounds of destruction stop before he stepped into the king's rooms. It appeared as if a dragon had gotten loose in there, every shelf broken, every glass shattered, and the king solemn with rage. Thorin's eyes were harder than Balin had seen in many a year.

"I take it the lass did not send good news?"

"She won't tell me what is happening, only that it is so dangerous she flees her home and tells me to lock mine to the outside. Gandalf accompanies her, which tells me she is most likely serious."

"She is right, you have a duty to protect your people and their hard fought for home."

"I..." Thorin paused, and in his silence Balin pushed on.

"Would you leave your people without a leader to chase the lass?"

"Fili is more than capable of ruling until I return," Thorin pointed out, kicking a broken table out of his way as he resumed pacing back and forth.

"He is also capable of going after her himself, and he wishes to."

"No."

"He owes her a debt, the same as we all do."

"I do not go for debt," Thorin yelled, slamming his fist upon the last thing still standing in the room, his desk. With a loud crack the Greenwood creation split down the middle and fell to the floor as well.

Balin smiled, the stern facade fading as he held up a scroll. "Good. I believe I know where they are going."

* * *

 _King Thorin of Erebor,_

 _I hope you and your kingdom are well. I congratulate you on five years of prosperity and hope that it continues for many years._

 _Still, there are ill tidings rising. On the 25_ _th_ _of October, I have called a council of all races to address a grave problem that could mark the end of Middle Earth. I ask that the race of dwarves join us. I would more than welcome an envoy of your kin if you should choose to participate._

 _Lord Elrond_

* * *

The wraiths found them near Weathertop, or as Gandalf called it, Amon Sul. They had made camp at the base of the tall cliff, using a small overhang as protection from the wind. Primula and Drogo curled up together by the fire and though Bella knew she should send them to separate pallets she did not. She figured it best to let them take what comfort they could gain, there were still many miles between them and Rivendell.

She didn't remember the last adventure taking so long. It had felt like that time flew past but perhaps it was the forming friendships that had sped time along. She'd spent the days getting to know the thirteen dwarves, learning their culture, their songs, their likes and dislikes. She'd taught Bombur recipes, and learned pickpocketing from Nori. Balin had quoted her dwarrow poetry, and Dwalin had taught her how to wield a sword, though she'd never really taken to it. She'd mothered Fili and Kili, tending to the holes in their clothing with an indulgent smile.

She'd avoided Thorin in the beginning, he was such an intimidating figure. Still, she'd learned of him through the others. She heard them tell each other of how brave he was, how fair when dealing with conflict, and how clever he could be when the mood took him.. They would follow him to their death if he asked, and their loyalty slowly created her own. She trusted her friends' judgment so even when he was cruel or cold, she knew that it was not truly him. He was a battle hardened King, the likes of which she had never seen and would never have seen if she'd stayed in the Shire where at one point he said she belonged.

Everything had changed with time. He became Thorin, still a king but also her friend. She became Bella, savior of Erebor, no longer just a hobbit. As much as she loved the Shire, it no longer felt like home. It was an ill fitting dress, the right shape, the right fabric but tailored together all wrong, rubbing at her in spots best left alone.

Bella was musing sleepily, her eyes drifting open and shut, one of Thorin's last letters crumpled in her fingers. She didn't see them come out of the dark. Gandalf had wandered off shortly before sunset, and she herself was supposed to be watching, but she was so tired and the air so cold that she just drifted off. Then the shadows converged into robed forms and the dark shine of a blade reflected firelight onto her face and she was awake and screaming.

They didn't fight, Drogo and Primula didn't know how, and Bella was of no state of mind to do so. They ran, dodging between the taller forms frenetically but still that could only do so much. She fell, yelling for the two younger hobbits to run even as they faltered and turned to come back. She reached for the ring and it slid onto her finger with a slick feeling that spread out over her skin. Goosebumps raised all over her body, her skin quivering under that feeling.

Nothing could compare to the sheer sharpness of a blade slicing into her shoulder. She had never felt such pain, radiating along her arm and chest until every beat of her heart seemed to send it further and further into her body. The last thing she saw before she slid into darkness was a bright light approaching, and a long gray robe flaring in anger.

* * *

 _Thorin,_

 _Ride swiftly, Bella is not well and I believe she could use your strength._

 _Gandalf_

* * *

His horse was not even stopped before he was throwing himself off and to the ground. "Where is she?"

The fair haired elf glared down at him. "The Lady Hobbit rests. I believe Lord Elrond would see you first, to explain what has happened."

"He can explain to me at her side, I will see her now," Thorin commanded, thrusting his horses reins at Dwalin and stomping into Rivendell with the arrogance of a King. Lindir followed but his displeasure was clear on his face. The King was not behaving as a proper guest, but Lindir was not of high enough rank to chastise him. He'd leave it to his Lord to do so.

Lord Elrond did no such thing, however, merely frowned at the dwarf's impudence and motioned to the door to Bella's room. "I do not believe she will wake today, but I have hope for tomorrow."

"What happened?"

"She has carried a great burden for far too long, and it's taken it's toll."

"What burden?" Thorin asked, stumbling to a stop as her bed slid into view. She looked tiny in the large elvish bed, and though he knew part of it was just the size difference he couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness upon the sight of her. She was pale, her skin sallow next to the golden color of her hair, and even under the heavy blanket he could tell she had lost weight. Her shoulder was just above the blanket and the white of bandages was marred by fresh blood. "What happened to her shoulder?!"

"I was going to explain all to the gathering," Lord Elrond started, sighing before explaining, "she carried the One Ring. According to Gandalf, it came into her possession in the Misty Mountains, on your quest for Erebor. She carried it all these years, but it was only when Gandalf became aware of it and began to bring her here that it attacked her like this. It called the Ring Wraiths to her, and they tried to reclaim it for their lord, poisoning her during their attack. Yet still...she persevered. She brought the ring here, trusting that we will be able to destroy it and prevent Middle Earth from falling into darkness."

"This is my fault," Thorin discovered, sinking into the chair at her bedside with a heavy thump. "If I had left her in the Shire as I'd intended, she'd never have found it."

"Fate is a tricky thing, Thorin Oakenshield. The ring ended up exactly where it wanted to be. It may be that it was always going to be that way. Do not blame yourself for things out of your control. I know that she does not blame you."

"She blames herself."

Lord Elrond smiled, "You know her well. Stay with her, I think that even in her dreams, she wants you here."

"She told me not to come," Thorin admitted, reaching out and laying his hand over her's, ignoring the small shake that twitched his fingers.

"She cares very deeply for you," Lord Elrond replied, leaving them to their privacy.

* * *

She didn't wake that night, as Elrond had predicted. She slept until well past elevensies the next morning, and he was watching when she finally opened her eyes.

"I told you to stay in Erebor." Her voice cracked as she spoke and she swallowed heavily as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"I told you I would come for you."

She grimaced, reaching up and trying to press at her shoulder but he caught her fingers before she could do so. He leaned close, studying the color of her face and deciding it was marginally better than when he had arrived. "It's not safe, Thorin."

"I know," he agreed, leaning over to assist her with sipping at the cup of fresh water. He waited until she'd drank her fill before standing to pace the length of her room. "We would be no more safe behind Erebor's walls than we are here. There is no hiding from Sauron."

"I didn't know about the ring. After I returned to the Shire, I never even thought about it. It was just...a memory tucked away in my pocket. Then Gandalf was there and he said it's name and it...was awake. It was in my thoughts, I could feel it in my chest, and I can feel it now. Where is it?"

Thorin studied her for several minutes. "I am not sure."

Bella immediately nodded, her eyes sliding shut and a small tear sliding out. "Don't tell me. I don't want it near me. Please, Thorin, don't tell me."

He was moving before she stopped speaking, kneeling at her bedside and taking her hand. "You need not ever see it again, ghivashel."

She smirked at him, her expression lightening for the first time since he'd arrived yesterday. "You shouldn't call me that."

"It is a title that has belonged to you for longer than I was willing to admit."

She brushed her fingers over his beard, tugging at the ends gently. "You need to rest, too. You're saying more than you ever would, were you not exhausted."

"I may not be the most verbose of dwarves, but that doesn't mean it's not true," Thorin clarified, smiling at her but releasing her hand and heading to the door anyways. "Oin will want to take a look at you now that you're awake. I will gather you something to eat. I imagine you're quite hungry. You've missed...seventeen meals in the last two days."

Bella groaned, "Don't remind me. Just feed me."

* * *

Bella was astonished to find that most of the company had jumped at the chance to travel to Rivendell and come to her aid. Fili had been left behind to rule in his uncle's place, Balin stayed to advise the younger lad, and a few like Ori and Bofur had stayed behind for various reasons, but they had all sent letters offering support and begging her to return home to Erebor.

She didn't know when Erebor had become "home" but it didn't feel wrong. Without the ring near her person, she could tell now how out of place and lonely the Shire had felt. She had her friends and her family, but at night she'd sat in an empty smial and thought of Thorin and her friends. She'd made their favorite foods and wished they were there to share it. She'd read dwarven books and wanted to debate their meaning with those who'd read them too, instead only able to write letters and it just wasn't the same. Bella had gone to bed, and heard only the whistle of the wind when she was truly listening for the soft snores and quiet murmurs of the company.

"You cannot sleep?"

She's not surprised that he's returned to her room, even though it is the middle of the night and most everyone else would be asleep. "I'm cold and my dreams are not pleasant."

"I will bring you another blanket," Thorin offered, stepping from the shadow cloaked corner chair and moving to the door.

"I'd rather you didn't," Bella offered, holding out her hand in a plea for him to come closer. "Will you hold me?"

"That...is probably not appropriate."

"You called me your One earlier, and you laying with me is not appropriate?" Bella countered, laughter tickling the air. It fell silent too quickly, though, and her solemness returned. "You make me feel safe. Please, Thorin?"

She could see that he fought his first instinct to come to her immediately. Not because he didn't want to, Bella knew that he was drawn to her as much as she was to him. He touched her easily now, in a way he had not that last time they had been together. Casually, his hand in her's, tugging on a curl of her hair, brushing his fingers over the curve of her cheek with a look of affection that she couldn't deny made her toes curl. When his company had come to visit her that afternoon, they had seen the new way he treated her and made their own conclusions as to their King's intentions.

Thorin sighed and began to pull off his heavy coat, laying it across the foot of the bed and toeing off his boots. He looked at her balefully, clearly thinking this was a bad idea but giving in to her request anyways.

"The shirt too," Bella requested, grinning at him when he froze. "I'm very cold."

He pressed a hand to her forehead. "You don't feel feverish." He shrugged and pulled his tunic off, sliding under the covers on her left side. He jumped when she slid closer, curling under his arm and laying her head in the hollow of his shoulder. Her fingers curled into his chest hair and she smiled when he shivered under her touch.

"Are you comfortable?" She inquired, whispering her question as she tilted her head back to glance up at him.

"I have dreamt of being with you like this," he admitted, running his fingers through her hair. She yawned and tucked herself against him tighter.

"When did you know that you felt more for me?" Bella asked, refusing to fall asleep until she had some answers from him. Things were moving so quickly lately that she feared she was missing things, important information that she needed. This was one of them.

"A few years after you'd left. My council began to insist on my meeting dwarrowdams, but they always seemed lacking. They were not you. You challenge me, even from the Shire you test my patience and question my decisions. You make me laugh, make me happy. I began to regret not asking you to stay in Erebor."

"I could tell you hated the idea of taking a wife," Bella pointed out. "I could see it in your letters."

"I don't hate the idea of taking a wife, I hate the idea of taking one of them."

Her breath stuttered before rushing out. "Thorin-"

"You need not say anything," he interrupted, "but I needed to say it. At least once."

Bella reached up with her good arm, cupping his face and forcing him to look at her. "I love you, too."

Their first kiss held none of the passion they both felt, and instead was soft and gentle. An affirmation in the dark night that they both desperately needed. It took being apart for them to really find each other, to understand that the connection that had formed between them under dire circumstances had flourished into something entirely new. Something well worth the wait.

* * *

They're awakened the next morning when a young dwarf throws himself on the bed, laughing boisterously as his uncle and the hobbit are jerked from sleep. It's only Kili's fast reflexes that keep him from being impaled by Thorin's dagger, but not even his uncle's patented glare could tear the smile from his face.

"Uncle! Bella! Nori tells me we've a wedding to plan!"

"He hasn't even asked me yet, Kili," Bella grumbled, pressing a hand to her forehead and pushing the weight of her hair away. "Is it breakfast time?"

"You haven't asked?" Kili asked, completely scandalized. "You're in bed together!"

"I am not going to ask. We are going to be wed."

"It's tradition to be asked," Bella said with a small bit of irritation.

"I am a dwarf," Thorin argued back, smiling at her and leaning down to brush a kiss across her nose. "And I believe we are beyond questions now."

"That is more that I needed to know," Kili commented, jumping off the bed and striding to the door. He pulled Tauriel inside from where she stood outside, her smile more reserved but no less happy for them.

"What are you doing here, Kili?"

"We received your letter that we should return to Erebor," Tauriel explained, seating herself in the very chair where Thorin had kept his vigil the last two days.

"This is not Erebor," Thorin replied dryly, standing and reaching for his tunic. As he dressed Bella could almost physically see his kingly persona slide over him, the easy authority and the stern demeanor.

"And miss out on a new quest, not a chance," Kili vowed, shifting aside as the rest of the company trickled in to join them.

"Has it been decided there is a quest?"

"No, no quest," Bella said firmly. She pulled the blanket up to her armpits, sitting up and pouting at them all. "We are all going home, no quest for us."

"Home?"

"We?"

"Yes, we. Me. Home. I mean, Erebor," Bella answered, smiling shyly when the company shifted their eyes from her to the King and then back again.

"It's about time," Nori blurted, exchanging a small pouch of coins with Dwalin not at all furtively.

"Everyone out," Thorin announced. "The council gathers in a few hours, any decisions will be made then." He turned back to Bella. "Would you stay here, or would you like to join? _It_...will be there."

She sighed heavily. "I think I will go. With you there, I think it will not have as much an affect on me."

* * *

They applauded when she walked onto the balcony and she blushed when Lord Elrond described her actions as brave and important. She hadn't felt brave during the rushed journey from the Shire, it had felt like self preservation of the highest need.

Primula and Drogo sat by Gandalf, a friendship that had formed fast and anew on the East West Road and though Gandalf indicated she could sit at his side as well, she instead moved to Thorin's. It was an unintentional announcement of her allegiance, but she didn't regret it. Her King laid his hand upon her knee and they listened to Lord Elrond and Gandalf explain what must be done.

Bella knew she couldn't do it. They hadn't asked her specifically, but even the thought of it turned her stomach. She gripped Thorin's hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white and he made a small noise. He breathed words of comfort into her ear as the entire gathering devolved into yelling, but it was the small voice of a hobbit that stunned them all back into silence.

"I will take it."

"No!" Bella screeched, surging to her feet. "You will not."

Primula stood and gestured to the ring where it rested. "You started this journey, Bella, I will finish it."

"We will finish it," Drogo rejoined, standing and taking his betrothed's hand.

It was easily one of the worst things Bella could ever have imagined happening. Her baby cousin, still plump with baby fat and only just learning what life was about, endangering his life in such a reckless way. He'd only just handfasted with Primula and now the both of them wanted to run off to Mordor.

"Our arrows are yours," Kili pledged, he and Tauriel standing and joining the hobbits and Gandalf.

At her side Thorin stood and she could feel him shaking in restraint as he fought to hold in his initial reaction. Finally he spoke, taking Bella's hand for support. "You are not a child anymore, and this is a very dangerous quest."

"I can handle it, my King. This must be done."

Thorin nodded, ducking his head and refusing to look up. Bella could see that his face was torn, his eyes suspiciously shining but he drew back into himself within seconds and the vulnerability was gone.

Several of the Men present volunteered, a lord of Rohan and the steward of Gondor among them. At the end of the meeting, thirteen had volunteered including Gandalf. It was a small group but both Elrond and Gandalf thought stealth was very important. Sauron did not have his full armies at his back, the battle of Erebor had happened too recently and not enough time had passed for the Orcs to replenish their forces. That did not mean he was not still incredibly dangerous. He had many creatures and magics at his disposal and with the ring back in the open anything and everything could happen.

Bella gathered her kin close and she cried, not even trying to stop. "Oh, Drogo. Prim. How could you do this?"

"How could we not? You cannot carry the ring any longer. It will kill you. But Drogo and I? It holds no draw for us," Primula explained, allowing Bella to hug her tight even as the older hobbit's strength pinched.

"It doesn't call you now, but you have not been with it very long," Bella tried to sway them.

"I carried it when you fell on the road, bleeding and fading," Drogo asserted, pulling Primula out of Bella's arms and grasping his cousin's shoulders. "We are not fauntlings any longer, we will do this. It must be done. For the Shire. For Middle Earth. For you."

"What will I tell your parents?"

Prim grinned at her. "Nothing, you're not going back to the Shire, remember? You're going to Erebor."

"I am still accountable for your safety and health!"

"Tell them we eloped in Rivendell and decided to honeymoon abroad," Drogo suggested, pressing a kiss against Primula's hand. "And we'll make at least half of that true."

"Here? Now?" Prim asked, clearly surprised at the turn of events.

"Better now than possibly..." _Never._ Bella knew that was the word he didn't say and she felt her heart breaking just a bit.

"You'll need armor. And weapons," Bella decided, turning to Dwalin. "Do we have anything suitable for a hobbit? I could give you my sword and my armor. Thorin, do you mind?"

He shook his head. "It is for a worthy cause. I can always make you new armor."

"Done," she nodded, turning to Gandalf. "Can you ask Lord Elrond about the wedding? If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right. We'll need flowers, and food, an archway of wood. I can write down the traditional vows..."

* * *

The fellowship left at first light three days later. Bella stood at Thorin's side, waved goodbye, and when they were out of sight sank to her knees and said a silent prayer to Yavanna. Thorin held out his hand and helped her to stand, leaning down and dusting the dirt off her skirt.

"We'll leave today as well. You may ride with me on my horse."

"I am not so weak that I cannot ride alone," she told him, wrapping her arm around his as they started to make their way to the room they now shared.

"I would rather have you close."

"I can understand that." She pressed a kiss upon his cheek. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather marry here? Get it all done before we head back?"

"I am willing," Thorin replied with a smile, "but my council would still require a royal wedding in front of our people."

* * *

 _Dear Gorbadoc and Mirabella,_

 _I have surprising but fantastic news. As you are aware, Drogo and Primula accompanied me in my ill health to Rivendell to seek out the Elven healers. It seems that they have caught a bit of the Took restlessness, for they decided to marry here and explore Middle Earth! I was as surprised as I'm sure you are now._

 _They wanted me to reassure you that they are hale and hearty and will make their way back to your loving arms in time._

 _I apologize for the breach in protocol, but not even my presence could dim the love that Yavanna has blessed them with. In recompense and in light of my circumstances, I am bequeathing them Bag End as a wedding present. They are not aware, but I'm sure you'll find this letter as legally binding as needs be._

 _If you have any concerns, please...I can be reached in the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor. The raven shall bring any letters you wish to write._

 _Love,_

 _Bella Baggins_

* * *

The sun was at its peak in the midday when the two riders made their way up the mountain trail and approached Erebor's gates. They were dressed roughly, raw leather and coarse cotton tunics stained slightly with old blood. The couple had clearly had a rough time but had come out on the other side with only a few new scars.

The guards were instantly on alert, standing higher, gripping their weapons tightly. Dwalin approached the wall, studying the figures as they came closer but it was only when they were less than fifty feet away that he realized who he stared at.

He recognized her red hair first, though it was at least two feet shorter than the last time he'd seen it, when the lady elf had gone riding off with the young princeling.

It took less than ten minutes for the courier he'd sent running to return with the Crown Prince and the King, their wives just feet behind them. Slowly their closest friends and kin filtered to the gates, completely silent and in awe of the return of the prince and the elf.

"There had been no news for over a year," Thorin called out. "We feared the worse."

Kili slid off the horse, grimacing when his feet were on solid ground once more. "And the worst happened, but we survived...and the Ring did not."

Fili walked forward, unable to reach for his brother when he'd long lost hope of ever seeing him again. "Your beard finally came in."

Kili ran his hand down the length of it almost sadly. "Aye, but Tauri is going to make me cut it." Kili grinned at his brother and within seconds they were together, arms wrapped tightly around each other until neither could breathe yet still they were unwilling to part. Dis flew through the crowd, pushing dwarves aside like chattel until she too was wrapped up in them, lifting them off the ground in her elation.

Thorin joined them slowly, clasping a hand on Kili's shoulder. He smiled at the man, "I am very proud of you, my nephew. More than you will ever know."

Kili smiled and reached back to assist Tauriel from her horse. She cradled a small bundle in her arms and her dismount was awkward. "We have something for Bella. We were tasked with bringing it to her."

At the sound of her name, she came forward. The Durinson family parted around her, and slowly Tauriel unwrapped the bundle before placing it in Bella's arms. She was shaking as she accepted, fearing the worst and knowing that if they had sent her _this_...then it had happened. "Drogo and Prim sent a letter, they said it would explain."

Bella used her teeth to break the seal since her hands were full, reading the short scroll through tears that blurred her vision.

* * *

 _His name is Frodo._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


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